Patent GB-465810-A (GB)
Title: Method of closing envelopes and machine for closing envelopes according to this method
IPC: B43M5/04
Filed: 1935-08-07
Abstract: 465,810. Sealing envelopes. COURVOISIER, P. Aug. 7, 1935, No. 22295. Void. Convention date, Aug. 10, 1934. [Class 146 (ii)] A method of closing or sealing envelopes consists in cutting tongues 3 from the parts 1, 2 to be connected, and folding the tongues through slits 5 cut in the parts 1, 2 whereby a series of slits 5 is formed through which the tongues 3 are passed, and alternating with apertures 4 corresponding to the parts from which the tongues have been cut. All the tongues and slits may be cut simultaneously by a series of plungers, or one tongue and one slit may be cut at each operation. The tongues may be of triangular, trapezoidal, or arrow-like form. The machine shown comprises a baseplate 7 on which is mounted a table 8, and a cover 9 adapted to fit over the table to cover approximately half thereof. A U-shaped frame 10 carries a number of plungers 15 each having two elements thereon, one for cutting the double tongue 3 and the other for cutting the double slit 5, and the legs of the frame are mounted in guides whereby they can be depressed against the action of springs 13. The table 8 is provided with a number of apertures 16 permitting the passage there-through of the plungers 15, and also with an apertured spring-pressed plate 21 for holding the envelopes in position. A number of rubber feed rollers 18 are guided by sockets 19 on the cover 9, springs inside the sockets pressing the rollers against the table 8, and a bar 23 connects all the rollers together. Each roller is provided with a ratchet-wheel retained by a pawl, and the frame 10 carries a number of pawls 26 each adapted, when the frame is depressed, to move over the teeth of one of the ratchet-wheels, and to rotate the ratchet-wheel and the corresponding roller 18 on the upward movement of the frame. A lever 36 pivoted inside the cover 9 bears on the frame 10 whereby the latter can be depressed, and also a forked extension 39 of the lever fits below the bar 23 whereby the latter together with the rollers 18 can be raised. Below the table 8 there is a bar 28 provided with as many blades 29 as there are plungers 15. The bar 28 is provided with two rods 30 mounted to slide in guides and held in the lower position by springs 31. The bar 28 is adapted to be raised when members 35 rotate members 34 which depress pivoted levers 33, the latter engaging beneath the ends of the rods 30. The members 35 are mounted on the legs of the frame 10 and are so arranged that they only rotate the members 34 on the upward movement of the frame 10. To seal an envelope, the rollers 18 are raised by the lever 36 to enable the envelope to be placed against a stop 41, the lever is then depressed to depress the plungers 15 to cut the tongues and slits in the envelope, the lever is then released to allow the frame 10 to ascend, whereupon the pawls 26 rotate the rollers 18 to feed the envelope forward to the left a distance equal to the pitch of the slits ; during the feed the tongues will abut the edges of the apertures 16 and be bent backwardly beneath the envelope. The members 35 now rotate the members 34 whereby the bar 28 is moved upwardly so that the blades 29 move through the apertures 16 in the table 8 and tuck the tongues 3 through the slits 5 in the envelope. Instead of using a number of plungers 15, feed mechanism comprising rubber rollers provided with teeth or projections may move an envelope intermittently beneath a single plunger. The machine could be operated by an electric motor started by inserting an envelope into the machine. The envelopes may be fed automatically from a box into the machine.